REVIEW: "Not Like the Movies" by Kerry Winfrey (Romantic Comedy)

NOT LIKE THE MOVIES by Kerry Winfrey
	Publisher: Berkley Genre: Romantic Comedy Publication Date: July 7th 2020 Series: Waiting for Tom Hanks, #2 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Friends to Lovers, Finding Yourself, Foodie
Other Books by Kerry Winfrey
#1
Description from Publisher:
What happens when your life is a rom-com...but you don't even believe in true love? Chloe Sanderson is an optimist, and not because her life is easy. As the sole caregiver for her father, who has early onset Alzheimer's, she's pretty much responsible for everything. She has no time—or interest—in getting swept up in some dazzling romance. Not like her best friend Annie, who literally wrote a rom-com that's about to premiere in theaters across America...and happens to be inspired by Chloe and Nick Velez, Chloe's cute but no-nonsense boss. As the buzz for the movie grows, Chloe reads one too many listicles about why Nick is the perfect man, and now she can't see him as anything but Reason #2: The Scruffy-Bearded Hunk Who's Always There When You Need Him. But unlike the romance Annie has written for them, Chloe isn't so sure her own story will end in a Happily Ever After.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
I read this immediately after Annie and Drew's story, and it got me thinking what it was that I seriously loved about both books. I think it is that the author just totally GETS Ron&com lovers. She mentions the right ones (She had me at her mention of Doris Day & Rock Hudson, then even more at Bill Pullman), and she gets the references so perfect... And she recreates that wonderful vibe with her characters and storytelling. I think I liked Chloe more than Annie, but I really did like Annie, so it's a toss-up. Drew and Nick were both the perfect leading men, strong but definitely not alphas. I love how sweet Nick was, and how he always had Chloe's back. This romance had a nice amount of push & pull, and I appreciated the tropes used. It was a fun read!
My Source: I purchased this from Amazon to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Kerry Winfrey
Kerry Winfrey is the author of the adult romantic comedies WAITING FOR TOM HANKS and NOT LIKE THE MOVIES and the teen romantic comedies LOVE AND OTHER ALIEN EXPERIENCES and THINGS JOLIE NEEDS TO DO BEFORE SHE BITES IT. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her family.

REVIEW: "Waiting for Tom Hanks" by Kerry Winfrey (Romantic Comedy)

WAITING FOR TOM HANKS by Kerry Winfrey
	Publisher: Berkley Genre: Romantic Comedy Publication Date: June 11th 2019 Series: Waiting for Tom Hanks, #1 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Enemies to Lovers, Finding Yourself, Creatives, Borrowed Time, Celebrity, Stuck With You, Nice Guy, Sweet Romance
Other Books by Kerry Winfrey
#2
Description from Publisher:
Can a romcom-obssessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey. Annie Cassidy dreams of being the next Nora Ephron. She spends her days writing screenplays, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet-cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks—a man who’s sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat—her problems would disappear and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight. When a movie starts filming in her neighborhood and Annie gets a job on set, it seems like a sign. Then Annie meets the lead actor, Drew Danforth, a cocky prankster who couldn’t be less like Tom Hanks if he tried. Their meet-cute is more of a meet-fail, but soon Annie finds herself sharing some classic rom-com moments with Drew. Her Tom Hanks can’t be an actor who’s leaving town in a matter of days...can he?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
So, I kind of loved this. It had this perfect meta-ness with rom-coms, and it referenced several that are my personal favorites, even a few lesser-known ones. This really checked off every box for a fun, funny, warm rom-com. The quirky cast was great, with nerd references on point (Uncle Don was a great character!). I also absolutely adored Drew, that much more so because he reminded me a ton of Chris Pratt (who I also absolutely adore!). His humor and sweetness were great, as was his cheekiness. Annie was a wonderful heroine, as well, with just the right amount of neurotic to make it all work. The chemistry from the time Drew and Annie meet is sizzling (in a sweet way!), and the slow-burn romance is one of my favorite kinds. You just really want these two to get together and make it work!
My Source: I purchased this from Amazon to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About the Author: Kerry Winfrey
Kerry Winfrey is the author of the adult romantic comedies WAITING FOR TOM HANKS and NOT LIKE THE MOVIES and the teen romantic comedies LOVE AND OTHER ALIEN EXPERIENCES and THINGS JOLIE NEEDS TO DO BEFORE SHE BITES IT. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her family.

REVIEW: "Vain" by Fisher Amelie (New Adult/Young Adult, Romance)

VAIN by Fisher Amelie
	Publisher: Fisher Amelie Genre: New Adult, Romance Publication Date: December 23rd 2012 Series: The Seven Deadly, #1 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Love Abroad, Borrowed Time, Finding Yourself, Heavy Subjects, Kids
Other Books in the Seven Deadly series
#2 #3 #4
Description from Publisher:
If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story. Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy. I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
The first part of this was great. Sophie was the ultimate selfish queen bee, using sex to get what she wanted. It was a bit unbelievable that every guy would just drop everything for her, but I could suspend disbelief for that. Then, she landed in Uganda. Within about 24 hours, she was no longer herself. The only hot, young guy at the orphanage hated her, but only for that day. Eventually, he says he never hated her and that her hotness did him in... Things happened rapidly, but that actually made it really hard to truly care for these characters. The bonding was limited to flowery words and bleeding heart monologues about the people of Uganda. The children felt more fleshed out than almost anyone, but they were almost always mentioned as a group. I also have to say it because it really bothered me: VACCINES ARE NOT CURES! They experience measles at the orphanage, but aren't concerned with keeping the kids well-nourished, well-hydrated, and comfortable. They just stress about shooting all the SICK kids up with a vaccine (which is a big no-no! Their immune systems are already taxes enough!). One of the kids is cured about 12 hours after receiving the MMR. That isn't how they work at all. It is also odd that the orphanage wouldn't already have vaccinated all the kids since vaccines are easier to get in Africa than clean drinking water. I digress. The last half of this has some excitement, but is mostly strangely worded dialogue (it doesn't feel natural at all and the word choices off), and unexpected drama. For instance, rather than the "I love you" moment being romantic or sweet, it is dramatic and forced, with Sophie turning cold, angry, and being distraught "He didn't say it!!" There is actually a surprising lack of sex in this, and some odd religious undertones. Dingane/Ian (his name changes halfway through, with a weird explanation) just keeps putting his hands on her neck and slamming his mouth onto hers. It seems the sex doesn't happen until a fade-to-black epilogue after they have gotten married (and neither of these people are virgins). Sophie even freaks out over wearing a bikini, alone, because it "isn't decent" and she shouldn't be showing her stomach. Seriously? How and WHY did she change from someone who wore sexy lingerie to a nun?! I expected a lot more depth about Uganda, Sophie's transition, the orphans, the LRA... and it wasn't there. :(
My Source: I checked this book out from the library. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Fisher Amelie
Fisher Amelie resides in the South with her kick ace husband slash soul mate. She earned her first 'mama' patch in 2009. She also lives with her Weim, 'Jonah', and her Beta, 'Whale'. All these living creatures keep the belly of her life full, sometimes to the point of gluttony, but she doesn't mind all that much because life isn't worth living if it isn't entertaining, right? Fisher grew up writing. She secretly hid notebooks and notebooks of dribble in a large Tupperware storage container in her closet as a kid. She didn't put two and two together until after college where it suddenly dawned on her, "Hey, I like writing". She's a bit dense. "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are. Put down that Oreo, your butt can't take any more." "You're rude." "Yeah, yeah." Anyway, she likes to write and has finally beaten her self-esteem into submission enough to allow herself to be scrutinized under the 'other readers' microscope. "No! No! Not a cover slip! Last time it gave me a ra...." (mumbling)